Gate.



W. H. FLAGG.

GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.25, 1913. 1,073,848. Patented Sept. 23, 1913. :3 m

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM couwgsmuu'rou. u. c

WILLIAM H. FLAGG, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2. 1913.

Application filed April 25, 1913. Serial No. 763,536.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, \Vrnnnuu I-I. Fmoo, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to gates and pertains more particularly to gates for railroad crossings adapted to be mechanically opened through mechanism actuated by a passing train.

The object of my invention is to construct a gate, including the operating mechanism there-of, of simple and inexpensive design and adapted for rapid installation upon any ordinary track without in any way obstructing the progress of trains or complicating the repair of t 'acks or roadbeds.

A further object is to provide means for locking the operating mechanism when the gate has once been caused to assume its horizontal position, until. the train has wholly passed, when the mechanism is tripped and released by its normal action and the gate is raised.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a single track having the gate installed thereon. Fig. 2 is a view of the lever and the mechanism directly actuated thereby. Figs. 3, 4:, 5, and 6 are enlarged sectional views taken upon lines 3 3, ll, 5-5, 66, respectively in Fig. 1.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have shown a railroad track 1- equipped with a mechanically operated gate -2 actuated by means hereinafter described. The rails of the track -1 have plates "3- and 4- respectively connected thereto by th bolts -5. Thesc plates -3- and lare preferably each provided with a threaded opening -6- adapted to receive an externally threaded sleeve 7 provided with a circumferentially extending shoulder -8 and the plates 3 and -4- are held against the shoulder 8- by a lock nut --9-. The sleeves are adapted to receive and operate as a bearing for a shaft -10- extending under the rails of the track -1-. The shaft -10- projects at either end from the sleeves -7 and upon one end is provided with a squared portion adapted to receive a disk -11- held in place upon the shaft by a nut -12-. The disk -11' has a bar -1l-- preferably mounted upon the outer face thereof and cxteinling circumfercntially therefrom for a purpose hereinafter specified. The rail l4L-- has a curved lcvcr --15--- attached at one end thereto by a bolt -1(l and is rotatable with respect to the rail. The lever -15 is preferably of slightly less length than the distance between the two trucks of a car so that, as the wheels of one truck pass out of contact with one end of the lever, the wheels of the other truck will almost immediately engage the other end. A supporting plate 17- is attached to the rail in any suitable manner and depends therefrom intermediate the ends of the lever 15- and has an angular arm 18- pivoted thereto by means of a bolt 'l 9--. The arm -18" is connected to the lever 15- by means of a link 20- and the bolts -21- and -22-. The disk ll-- is provided with an eccentric projection -2i-- adapted to be engaged by a pawl -24- pivotcd to the plate 17 when the lever 15 has been forced down and the mechanism assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pawl 24: is provided with a projection -25- normally resting against the arm -l8 and adapted to contact with the arm 18- when the lever --15 returns to its normal position for disengaging the pawl -24:- with the projection 23, thereby allowing the disk --1.1-- to asnme its normal position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. A spring 26-- attached to the rail in any suitable manner as by a bolt "27- bears against the lever 15 and tends to return the same to its raised position. The other end of the shaft --10- is provided with a pulley 2S attached thereto in any manner, as by a set-screw 29. The pulley -28 has connected thereto as by the pin -30-, a cable --31-, extending along the track to a position adjacent the gate -2-, and attached to a rotating pulley -32-- loosely mounted upon the shafts -33- and -34t-. A frame formed of the plates -35 and -86 mounted upon squared portions of the shafts 33- and -3 trespectively and connecting rods -37-- and "38 surrounds and incloses the pulley --32-. The pulley is provided with a circumit'crcntially reduced portion from which pins -39- and -40- extend having preferably, as shown, a scrcw-threadcd relation therewith and these pins are adapted to contact with the connecting rods 37 and -3S causing rotation of the plates -85 and 36- and thereby the shafts 33 and ---34 when the pulley is moved in one direction and allowing free movement of the plates 35-and 36 when the pulley is moved in the other direction. The shafts -33 and 3% are supported by means of similar brackets -it1 and 42 having threaded openings for receiving sleeves 4:3 and 1% adapted to form bearings for the shafts. The sleeves l3 and 44 are externally threaded for a portion of their length and are provided with circumferentially' extending flanges for the remainder of their length and the brackets ll and *42 are held in contact with the circumferential flanges by means of lock nuts 45 and i-6. The shafts -33 and 3 are each adapted to be attached to a gate arm, the gate arm being positioned on opposite sides of the bracket.

The gate arm -2 is of the ordinary construction, the only essential being that the longer end of the arm should be of slightly greater weight than the shorter end so that the gate if left free will at all times assume a closed position and for allowing this free action, it is pivoted to a shaft 47 ex tending through and supported by a housing -48 having a cover I9-- attached thereto by means of bolts 5 Each of the shafts -3l and 4l7- are pro vided with a rock arm 50 and 51 respectively set-screwed thereto by screws -52 and 53. These arms are connected by means of a link 54L so that rotation of either of the shafts 31 and 4:7 is directly transferred to the other shaft. The journal of the shaft -3 1- in the housing 48 is preferably provided with ball bearings 55-, as shown in Fig. 3, and the journal of the shaft 47 is likewise constructed so that the movement of the gate to closed or opened position is accompanied by little friction.

It is readily apparent that the gate will normally assume a closed position and is only held in open position by contact of the pins -39 and 40 with the connecting rods 37 and 38 and in order that the gates may normally be held in open position, I have provided the pulley 32- with a projecting ar1n56- preferably having a threaded relation therewith, from which depends a weight 57 pivotally connected thereto by a pin 58 so that normally this weight overcomes the natural tendency of the gate to close.

The operation is as follows :As the wheels of the train pass over thetrack, they contact with the lever 15-- and press it down whereby the arm l8- is turned about its pivots and contacts with the bar around the pulley and in turn the pulley' 32 is rotated, the tension of the weight 37 is overcome, and the pins 39 and 4t0 are turned away from the connecting rods 37 and --38-, allowing a free movement of the gate arm -2 in accordance with its normal weight-ing, When the train has wholly passed over the lever l5 the spring 26 again raises the lever and thereby the arm 18 until said arm contacts with the projection 25 upon the pawl 24 and raises it from contact with the projection 23-, allowing the weight 57 to rotate the pulley -32 in the opposite direction and return the gate to its open position. There is sufficient space between the arm -18 and the projection 25 when the gate is in closed position to allow a certain freedom of movement of the lever 15", but this lever never rises to its normal height until the train has fully passed over by reason of the fact that when one wheel passes off the lever -l5, the wheel of the next truck almost immediately comes on.

I have shown a second cable 58 upon the opposite side of the gate attached to the pulley 32 so that it will rotate it in the same direction and operate the gate in exactly the same manner when the train comes from this direction by means of a second lever 60 similar to the lever 15having mechanism operating in exactly the same manner. 7

I have shown only one track, but it will be readily apparent that the shaft 33 may extend under a track similar to the track -1 and operate a gate upon the outside of said track in the identical mannor in which the gate arm -2- is operated and by exactly the same construction, the pulleys 28, 32 and the cables 31 and 58 being positioned between the tracks. 7

that I claim is:

1. In a gate operating mechanism, a lever, an arm actuated by the movement of said lever, a shaft, a disk rigidly mounted on said shaft, said arm adapted to contact with said disk to rotate the same, means for moving said lever whereby said disk is rotatedg means for holding said disk in its rotating position, and means for releasing said holding means.

2. In a gate, a lever actuated by a train wheel, a pivoted arm having a connection with said lever, a shaft, a disk mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith, a bar mounted on said disk and adapted to contact with said arm, a pulley on said shaft, a cable mounted on said pulley, a self-closing gate, and means for holding said gate in open position, said cable having an attachment with said means for holding the gate in open position.

3. In a gate-operating mechanism, a lever, a pivoted arm actuated by the movement of said lever, a disk having a bar mounted thereon, said bar adapted to contact with said arm, a shaft upon which said disk is mounted, said shaft rotating with said disk, means for moving said lever whereby said disk is rotated, means for holding said disk in its rotated position, and means for releasingsaid holding means.

4t. In a gate, a normally closing gate arm, means for holding said gate arm in open position, a cable connected to said holding means, a pulley connected to the other end of said cable, means actuated by a passing train for rotating said pulley, and means for locking said pulley in its rotated position.

5. The combination with a normally closing gate arm of a shaft upon which said gate arm is rigidly mounted, means for supporting said shaft, a rock arm having a rigid connection with said shaft, a second shaft, a rock arm rigidly connected to said shaft, a rod connecting said rock arms, means tending to rotate said second shaft and thereby open the gate, and means actuated by an approaching train for withdrawing said means tending to rotate said shaft whereby the gate is allowed to close.

6. The combination with an overbalanced pivoted gate arm of a shaft rotating with said gate arm, a frame mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith, a pulley mounted on said shaft and free to rotate with respect to said shaft and said frame, an arm on said pulley contacting with said frame, means in connection with said pulley adapted to normally hold said gate in open position, and means actuated by an approaching train for rotating said pulley and withdrawing said arm from contact with said frame whereby said gate is allowed to close.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of April, 1913.

\VILLIAM H. FLAGG.

\Vitnesses:

E. A. THOMPSON, VIOLA HowLANn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

